"You People" Serves Up Uncomfortable Truths, Upsets Social Media

It is my sincere belief that many films are simply meant to entertain. If you walk away with a message, that’s truly a bonus. When it comes to “You People” – were you not entertained?  

First and foremost, it is so nice to see Lauren London on the screen again. She epitomizes grace and class amidst public heartache.

I’m not sure what the Netflixers expected from a movie entitled You People, however, I was entertained for the most part.

The creators of this movie took the Tyler Perry concept of putting likable characters together (knowing that it will draw a certain audience) and then somewhat underwhelming with the script. Still, there is far more good than there is bad in You People.

To the credit of Director Kenya Barris and the writing team, I didn’t walk away from You People, with any feelings that this was just another film attempting to force black and white people to coexist.

You People is about the many challenges that come with interracial dating. Mixing two very different worlds is not always beautiful. It is not always easy. And more importantly, an interracial relationship will not always be accepted by the families of the adjoining parties. 

The uncomfortable nature of this film should be undertaken by anyone dating outside of his or her race. The undertones of this narrative should also be dissected thoroughly by any interracial couple considering rearing biracial children in this world. It’s not easy. Even when love wins, hatred and pushback from every direction is likely to always exist.

The winner for me in this film is Sam Jay, Jonah’s butch Black Homegirl Mo - the other half of his podcast covering “the culture” that Jonah so intrinsically adores.

Mo exudes everything a Black “best friend” to a non-black person should exude.

She doesn’t tone down her energy for his comfort. She calls him “Nigga” without any hint that it’s okay for him to use the word. She is unapologetic in her respective Blackness, in her vernacular, nor in her crudeness. I believe she serves as the shrewd balance this film needed, whether her placement was intentional or not.

While You People was the opposite of typical Eddie Murphy presentation, it was comfortably believable until maybe the last 15 minutes. He is the Black Father married to the Black Mother and he resents the idea of his daughter bringing a white man into the fold. Fortunately, his discontentment never materializes negatively towards his daughter. He instead tries to make life a living hell for the white man he considers to be an intruder.

Writing race jokes is no easy feat. It takes skill and precision. I think had this film debuted in theaters - no one would’ve run out in hysterics. That should serve as a semblance of accomplishment where the jokes are concerned. The truth is there are white people who covet Black Culture and don’t know how to exist around what they don’t understand. So true is also the fact that some Black People will never make “room” for white people in a world (America) we didn’t ask to be a part of in the first place. 

I think the critics are expecting a little too much from films in an age where true creative writing is no longer demanded, but rhetoric is constantly bought and sold. 

The crafty tributes to Nipsey Hussle did not go unnoticed. The cinematic transitions did not go unnoticed. The reference to an HBCU being undermined and mistaken for Harvard did not go unnoticed. The mention of gentrification was-ever-so relevant. The comparison of Slavery and the Holocaust should be a conversation that continues in some other space – perhaps several spaces. The Black movements and the White placements throughout greater California should not go unnoticed.

I can appreciate seeing a beautiful Lauren London and Nia Long on my screen. Eddie Murphy has not disappointed me a day in my life with his acting, so I don’t mind him taking a role that is far from his normal. Mike Epps served his purpose, as the irresponsible voice of reason. La La Anthony and Caresha Please quietly filled a germane gap.

I find Jonah Hill oddly charming.  Molly Gordon playing his lesbian sister was something I never knew a film needed. If I’m completely honest, once I put on my glasses and realized that Julia Louis-Dreyfus was not in fact my beloved Tina Fey – I was truly able to appreciate how well she embraced “The Karen with good intentions” role.

Perhaps it takes a film like this to comically identify how Black Women are often treated like a novelty, as opposed to the standard. Maybe You People exists in 2023 to reinforce the idea that not all white people admire Black Culture with the intent to infiltrate. Or it’s quite possible that a film like You People came to life to spark discussion in the world and to remind us all that there is neither a collective Black Way nor a collective White Thought, but instead belief systems, falsehoods and privileges all fighting for territory.

Will I watch You People again? Probably not, but I certainly appreciate the fact that it exists.